#TherapyConfessions #LegalAdvice #StudentLife #CollegeProblems
Have you found yourself in a sticky situation where you’ve confided in your therapist about engaging in criminal activity on your college campus? The fear of potential consequences can be overwhelming, making you question the legality of your therapist disclosing this information to authorities. Let’s dive into the legal implications and explore possible solutions to ease your worries.
## Can Your Therapist Report You?
If you’re wondering whether your therapist can report your criminal confessions to the university authorities, it’s crucial to understand the concept of confidentiality in therapy sessions. Licensed therapists are bound by strict confidentiality guidelines, which means they cannot disclose information shared by their clients without their consent. However, there are exceptions to this rule when there is a threat of harm to yourself or others.
## Legal Protections for Therapy Confessions
When it comes to criminal confessions made in therapy, there is a general legal principle called privileged communication. This protects the information shared during therapy sessions from being used against you in court. In most cases, therapists are not legally obligated to report crimes disclosed by their clients unless there is a direct threat to someone’s safety.
## Possible Consequences from the University
If your therapist believes that your actions pose a risk to yourself or others, they may recommend seeking additional support or resources. However, it’s unlikely that they would disclose your criminal confessions to university authorities without your consent. Without concrete evidence, the university may find it challenging to take disciplinary actions based solely on your therapist’s testimony.
## Seeking Legal Advice
If you’re still concerned about the potential consequences of your criminal confessions, seeking legal advice from a professional can provide you with clarity and guidance. An attorney specializing in student rights and disciplinary matters can help you understand your rights and options moving forward.
In conclusion, while it’s natural to feel anxious about confessing your crimes in therapy, it’s essential to remember that therapists are bound by confidentiality rules. Before sharing sensitive information, discuss your concerns with your therapist to better understand the potential outcomes. Seeking legal advice can also offer peace of mind and help you navigate any challenges that may arise.
Remember, you are not alone in this, and there are resources available to support you through difficult situations. Stay informed, communicate openly with your therapist, and take proactive steps to protect your rights and well-being.
If you’re in the US, in practically every state I know of therapists are mandated to report only when they believe you are a current danger to yourself or others, so based on the fact that you’re only discussing selling drugs in the past you should be totally fine, any therapist should be completely transparent and willing to discuss with you what their reporting requirements are
Murder? Yes. Petty theft? Unlikely.
Ask them upfront. Any good therapist should be willing to discuss.
Therapist here. The only thing we can legally and ethically report are if you make statements that you are a danger to yourself or others, report abuse of a child, elderly person, or disabled person. You could report a murder and it would be a hipaa violation to report it to the authorities.
I am a therapist. In no world is an admission of drug dealing in a therapy session enough to break confidentiality. The only way I can break is if the client were to disclose child abuse, elderly abuse, the abuse of an adult with a disability, or extremely serious suicidal or homicidal ideations. Someone could admit to committing murder yesterday but I still could not report that unless I had reasonable suspicion that they would kill again and the public was at risk.
NAL but a therapist. We can only break confidentiality under 3 circumstances. 1) you tell us you have plan and intent to end your life. 2) you have plan and intent to harm someone else/end their life (duty to warn) 3) you tell us a vulnerable population (elderly, children, disabled) are being abused or neglected. You could tell me you murdered your best friend last night and because it already happened, i have no duty to warn and therefore can’t break confidentiality. HOWEVER!! our notes can be court ordered by a judge in to a court case. So if you confess a crime and your counselor notes it in the note then a judge orders release of the records in an ongoing court case, it can be used against you.
Unless you feel it is important to the discussion you intend to have, I’d avoid necessarily mentioning that any of it occurred on campus, but in theory, the counselor shouldn’t be able to say anything either way.
Before speaking to a counselor, always ask what their reporting criteria’s are. Most are strict no disclosure, but that’s usually for licensed therapists.